Kidnapped & Catriona

Nov13

David Stuart looks at two of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic Scottish tales.

One remarkable
aspect of Robert Louis Stevenson’s skill as an author was the range of his
writing. His prolific pen created tales of horror, swashbuckling endeavours,
mysteries, ghost stories and thrilling historical yarns set in his beloved
Scotland. Kidnapped and its sequel Catriona fall into this latter category.

Rather like Treasure Island, Kidnapped was originally written as a rousing tale for young
readers. It was first published in serial form in the magazine Young Folksfrom May to July 1886. The novel is set around real 18th-century Scottish
events, which occurred in the aftermath of the Jacobite rising of 1745.
In a preparatory note to the novel, Mrs Stevenson explains that her husband was
fascinated by this period of history, a time of turmoil and political upheaval,
‘and wanted to write a story in which a young boy, David Balfour, supposed to
belong to my husband’s own family, who should travel to Scotland as though it
was a foreign country, meeting various adventures and misadventures on the
way.’ Many of the characters are real
people, including one of the principals, Alan Breck Stewart, the
unscrupulous but heroic champion of the Jacobite cause. The exciting sweep and
drama of the tale not only engaged the interest of the young, but more mature
readers also. The novel was very successful and sold well while Stevenson was
alive. However, after his death many came to view the book with scepticism,
seeing it as simply a boys’ adventure novel, but by the mid-20th century it had
regained critical approval and study. Over time it has attracted the praise and
admiration of writers as diverse as Henry
James,Jorge
Luis Borgesand Hilary
Mantel.

It is perhaps the skill with which the author
weaves his fictional tale in a bold and easy fashion into a version of the
historical events he uses as pegs in which to hang his narrative that add that
extra depth and quality to the novel. The true events and the period details give
colour and richness to the narrative. However, in the preface to Kidnapped
Stevenson warns the reader that historical accuracy was not primarily his aim,
remarking ‘how little I am touched by the desire of accuracy’. In other words
he is true to the spirit and poetry of the period but is prepared to alter
facts to enrich the plot.

The novel easily lends itself to dramatic film, TV
and radio adaptations. The first was a silent movie produced in 1917 by Edison
Studios in New York. In the thirties when Hollywood was ransacking the
bookshelves of all the classic British novels, they came up with their version
in 1937 with Warner Baxter as Alan Breck Stewart and the very young Freddie Bartholemew
as David Balfour. The simple plotline for this movie read: ‘In 1747, David Balfour's evil uncle arranges
for him to be kidnappedand sent to sea, where he meets
exiled Alan Breck. The two make their way back to Scotland and justice’.

Walt Disney gave us his version in 1960, which
marked Peter O’Toole’s first screen appearance. More recently there was a television
mini-series in 2005 but this played around with the plot. There has also been
an animated feature (1986) and a graphic novel (2007) based on the book.

It was in 1971 that perhaps the most popular
cinematic version of Kidnapped appeared. Directed
by Delbert
Mann, its starry cast included Michael
Caine, Trevor Howard, Jack
Hawkins and Donald Pleasence, as well as a number of
well-known British character actors. One of the interesting aspects of this
version was that not only was the movie based on Kidnapped but also on the first half of thesequel,Catriona.

Catriona was first published in 1893 and begins
precisely where Kidnapped ends on 25 August 1751 and so in essence
provides a seamless continuation of David Balfour’s tale. Although a fictional
character, Catriona is presented by the author as the granddaughter of Rob Roy
Macgregor - forming a link with another Scottish hero who featured, Sir Walter
Scott’s novel, Rob Roy.

After arranging
a safe passage to France for his comrade Alan Breck Stewart, David tries to
clear their names of involvement in the murder of Colin Campbell of Glenure,
the 'Red Fox'. The political complexities and intrigue surrounding the 'Appin
murder' make Davidʼs situation appear hopeless as he tries to find a path that
will both save Alan Breck and James of the Glens, and keep his own neck out of
the hangman’s noose. With his life again in danger, the only person he can
trust is Catriona, the daughter of the treacherous James More.

David Balfour becomes romantically entangled
Catriona, a wild spirited young woman but their relationship is a problematic
and tempestuous one. However, Alan Breck has strong words with David in an attempt to
get their relationship on an even keel:

‘It’s this
way about a man and a woman, ye see, Davie: The weemenfolk have got no kind of
reason to them. Either they like the man, and then a' goes fine; or else they
just detest him, and ye may spare your breath – ye can do naething. There's
just the two sets of them – them that would sell their coats for ye, and them
that never look the road ye're on. That's a’ that there is to women; and you
seem to be such a gomeral that ye cannae tell the tane frae the tither.’

As you may gather that after many thrilling
episodes the story heads for a happy ending. The novel is part
adventure, part romance, and filled with atmospheric and evocative descriptions
of old Edinburgh and the surrounding area. Stevenson
was particularly pleased with this novel, saying that he would ‘never do a
better book.’

Wordsworth have produced a volume that contains
both stories so you have the complete David Balfour saga between one set of
covers.